82 
OUR RACE AND ITS ORIGIN. 
of the Euphrates, Tigris, Indus, and Ganges ; hence perhaps 
the allusion to these rivers chiefly in the Mosaic account of 
the creation. The Chinese appear to claim Noah as their 
great progenitor, and his name seems to he recognized in 
that of their reputed founder, Eo or Eoah. Traces of Noah 
are to he found in the Polynesian isles as well as in Asia. 
After these grand and primitive heads of nations, come 
several smaller migrations. The ten tribes carried to Assyria, 
and thence dispersed eastward through Asia, southward 
through India, and from the eastern coast of that continent 
probably proceeding to America, and the innumerable Isles 
of the Pacific Ocean, where they are met by other migrations 
of the same stock from India : both the Malay and Polynesian 
may be viewed as radiating from the same source, but in 
different lines. 
Nor have the descendants of Ham been satisfied with 
peopling Africa. They are to be traced in the southern 
extremity of America, in Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, 
in India, China, Japan, Polynesia, and the East Indian Isles. 
At a later period European races stock America, and are 
now rapidly peopling all those parts which Shem and Ham 
first colonized ; and thus at this moment, the descendants of 
Shem, Ham, and Japhet are meeting together in the remote 
islands of the sea. 
But one strong evidence in support of the original unity 
of our race, is language. The identity of words, and tra- 
cing them up to their source, has become a study of much 
interest and one from which great results may be expected ; 
races are now being classed by the affinity of language, 
rather than peculiarities of person. The amount of Indian 
words and roots in European tongues is great, the same 
may be said of the Polynesian and Malayan. Thus the 
Sanscrit radiates N.W., even to Britain, and S.E., to New 
Zealand and throughout Polynesia. Much, too, might be 
said of the identity of manners, customs, and religious rites, 
which are similar in the most remote parts of the globe. In 
all these we behold the several links of one vast chain, 
which binds together the whole family of man. The cha- 
